e: The Assi

V:

ng myself I was calm. I was not calm. I'd barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes I saw the photograph on Hartw

ulders and push

bags. A few people were already seated, student photographers mostly, scrolling through phones or testing lenses. I

be here. My reason walked thro

ebook tucked under her arm, her dark hair pulled back, wearing a grey sweater that looked

icked a seat at the middle of the table, not too close to the front, not hiding in the back, and set her b

first time. I figured she'd be stiff, uncertain, maybe a little wide-eyed. Instead she opened her noteb

ements, deadlines for the team's official accounts. I nodded in the right places and understood nothing. My attention kept

ected to shoot both home and awa

d him a prepared question before. "Rot

entioned, what's the turnaround ti

ually a

eye and felt something shift quietly in my chest. She wasn't performing.

p and people started breaking into smaller conversations,

shooting a h

ce, capped her pen, and then turned her head to look at me like she'd kno

done event photography for two years so the pace won't be t

d to get your lens basically flush against the g

looked, not the dismissive glance she'

he said. "Did you just know

le of

t quite a smile. More like she wa

" I said, ext

he shook it anyway. Her

kno

d across her face.

oach Hartwell's team.

ession easy. "

versation was over, but then she said, without loo

't a qu

m's departments," I said. The lie came

ng down. "And you just

re limite

eleven em

, just a simple, accurate observation, which somehow

ow your shots through the glass will be a

riday's gam

saw you in

ooked at me, and this time the look was different.

cally," she said. "

gles jersey in a Falcon

gaze for a moment, then nodded

software, laughing about something I wasn't tracking. I watched Riley flip to a new page a

ng shot positi

e to p

st practic

simply, without apology. I a

r. Riley gathered hers, glanced it over, and started filling it in. I

rd me. Her voice dropped. Not

said. Quiet. Completely calm. "Th

l talking. Someone laughed across the table.

her. I kept my eyes forward and worked very hard to keep my face from doing any

reached into my chest